


Becoming a Captain

by heyhay13



Category: Batgirl (Comics), Shazam (Comics), Young Justice - All Media Types
Genre: Barbara Gordon is Batgirl, Canon Divergence, Magic, Secret Identity, but the JL or YJ do not know Captain Marvel's identity, much Shazam lore, takes place in season 2
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-18
Updated: 2017-11-06
Packaged: 2018-12-03 16:05:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11535681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heyhay13/pseuds/heyhay13
Summary: Captain Marvel is injured in battle and has to pass on the powers of Shazam to Batgirl - but not how you might expect.Now Barbara has to figure out what to do with a 10 year old, and keep up the mantles of both Batgirl and the Captain at the same time.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story generally takes place in YJ season 2, but the age of Billy has been kept at 10 and neither the Justice League or the YJ team know his secret identity yet.

This mission was not going well… from the moment teen heroes exited the Zeta Tube to Gotham. The city was in chaos, more than usual, as the both dark sky and the streets kept lighting up with flashes of colorful magic. It felt wrong to see her city like this – magic was not very common in Batgirl’s hometown, Gotham attracted more crazies than mystics.

              “Alpha squad, with me! Beta squad, you’re following Batgirl – We’re supporting the ground. Miss Martian, take Gamma squad and get the League additional air support” Nightwing ordered over the sounds of shouts and thunder. The team divided up and Batgirl fired her grapple at one of the nearby building. Her squad was quick to keep up as they headed towards downtown Gotham.

              “Someone really went all out on this one!” Garth called, flying besides her in the form of a green eagle.

              “That’s why we’re here. Too many things in too many places for the League to handle.” Batgirl replied and the shapeshift smiled.

              “Look who gets to save the heroes now!” Impulse laughed besides them.

              “Focus boys, we don’t know what we’re up against. Impulse, scout ahead and identify were the critical areas are.” Barbra said quickly.

              “On it!” Impulse replied and zipped ahead. Moments later his voice came over the telepathy link. _“Looks like some kind of demon swarm has surrounded Gotham General. They’re trying to break in!”_

              _“Alright, Garth, Bumblebee – You two go for the swarm. See if you can get them away from the hospital entrances. Impulse get in there and check in any are inside. I’m going up top to see if I can find the magician controlling this group.”_ She ordered and the squad broke up. Batgirl landed on the tallest nearby building while the others went for the hospital.

              Above them, thunder crashed again as the League, led by Captain Marvel and Zatanna, were going after the real masterminds. The Lord of Chaos, Klarion, and Felix Faust had teamed up again, though now they a large band of lower level sorcerers, magicians, and demons.

              Barbra surveyed the area surrounding Gotham General and soon spotted her target. A man stood on the balcony of a nearby building with glowing symbols around him that matched the League’s description for the magicians who had been summoning demon swarms.

              She ran to jump onto the next building over before using her grappling hook to swing down to the balcony. The magician was too focused trying to keep up his incantation to even see her coming before her boots met his face and he was slammed to the ground. The glyphs around him shimmered out, and the demons on the streets below let out shrieks and howls as they vanished along with it.

              “That was easier than expected.” Batgirl mused as she leaned down and made quick work of tying the man up.

              “You will regret this, brat!” he snapped and her. “You do not know the wrath of Chaos! It will –“

              _“Batgirl – There’s another swarm two blocks east.”_ Impulse came in over the telepathy link.

              _“On my way.”_ She replied quickly, then looked at the magician still angrily declaring “the wrath of Chaos will smite thee” nonsense. “Alright buddy. You just enjoy a nap until we can swing back to pick you up.” She said before delivering enough of a hit to knock him out for a while. With that, she grappled away to join the rest of her squad.

*            *            *            *            *

_“Nightwing to Batgirl, Status report.”_

_“We’re making progress. Slowly. There are a lot of swarms down here.”_ Batgirl reported as she shoved off another demon creature. The rest of these had not been going as smoothly as the first. The controllers were getting smarter, and thus hiding in harder to find places.

              _“Agreed. We need to join –“_ Dick started to reply, but the link went down at the same time as a sizeable magical blast went off above them.

              _“Nightwing? Miss Martian?”_ Batgirl tried, but got no response. She quickly activated her comm link. “Nightwing, Miss Martian status report.” She tried.

              “Nigh-ing, M- M-ian down. Re-at, Miss -an dow-!” The reply came back, thick with feedback. Batgirl’s attention shifted to trying to locate the rest of her squad. They needed to regroup and stay close if they didn’t have any functional communication link.

              The sky lit up again in an explosion of lightening accompanied with such a loud thunder crash that the ground shook beneath them. Batgirl looked up at the clouds just in time to catch the streak of white and red falling from them.

              “Come in, anyone! Captain Marvel is down! Captain Marvel is coming down hard!” She desperately called into her comm piece.

              “B-, re-at?” a broken reply came in, Barbra couldn’t even make out who it was.

              “Captain Marvel is coming down hard!” She shouted, running in the direction that the hero was falling. This time, her only answer was static. “Damn it!” Batgirl snapped, giving up on the comm link and used her grapple to swing into the air. She knew she wouldn’t make it- hell she didn’t think there was any way she could catch the hero without getting herself killed in the process- but she had to do something.

              The impact sound was nearly drowned out in the flurry of noise around the city. Barbra turned hard into the alleyway and was running as soon as her feet touched the ground.

              “Captain Marvel!” She called, running up to the crater now punched into the concrete, “Captain, can you hear me?” she tried again, jumping down to his side. He stirred, letting out a low groan of pain, which almost caused Barbra to worry more. It was incredibly rare to see the Captain injured.

              “Batgirl…?” Captain Marvel asked, looking up at her in a daze. She quickly crotched down by his side.

              “What happened, what’s going on up there?” She asked quickly, trying to assess him despite her little knowledge of magic.

              “Klarion… he cast a curse.” He explained, trying to sit up. “A curse- a curse that is attacking my mortal form.” He continued, coughing as Batgirl looked confused.

              “What does that mean?” she asked quickly, helping him sit up. “What is it doing?”

              “I-I don’t-“ He started, only to be interrupted by another fit of coughs. “I don’t think I have time to explain. I must ask something unfair of you Batgirl.” He said and Barbra’s confusion quickly turned to worry.

              “If it will help – anything.” She said without missing a beat.

              “You must take the Captain Marvel avatar. His strength is needed to win this fight and I cannot continue in this state.” He told her, forcing himself to stand up.

              “W-What? Wait, are you dying – I don’t understand!” She said, trying to process the information as he pulled her up as well. He smiled – despite everything – he smiled and chuckled.

              “No, I am not. But you need to help stop this.” He told her, taking both of her hands. “I am glad it was you that found me – you are worthy.” He told her and Batgirl didn’t know what to say. She did not know what he meant, but the severity in his voice conveyed his urgency.

              “I-uh, okay.” She said, looking up at him. He smiled at her, then looked up at the sky.

              “SHAZAM!”


	2. Chapter 2

Barbra was surrounded in white. She blinked, trying to adjust to the sudden brightness after the darkness of Gotham. In front of her, stood Captain Marvel.

              “Hello Batgirl.” He said, but something felt off. This didn’t feel like the Captain she knew.

              “Hello…” She replied, uncertain. “You’re… not the Captain, are you?”

              “In a way. I am the embodiment of his abilities, and it is rare that I can maintain my own form like this. We do not have long.” He told her.

              “Alright, can you explain what is happening?” Barbra asked quickly.

              “Klarion cast a powerful spell that is attacking my mortal form, one that leeches off my own magic. It is like… a magic virus, if you may. By separating myself from Billy, you have the chance to save him and the city from further harm using the powers of Shazam.”

              “I’m not a magic user- I don’t even have an affinity for magic though.” Barbra said quickly.

              “Neither did Billy, but it will come naturally. I promise, just trust your instincts.” He told her and Barbra nodded, though still unsure.

              Around them, the light seemed to dim and he frowned before looking down at her again. “I must ask one more thing of you. The League does not know of my mortal form. Very few do. I am very weak in this form, and this puts magic in great danger. I am the protector of it, and if my mortal form dies while you hold these powers, the link will likely end your life as well Batgirl.”

              Barbra stiffened. “I understand.” She told him, noticing the lights dimming again.

              “I knew you would. Thank you.” He told her before her vision went completely dark.

*            *            *            *            *

              The world snapped into view with another flash of light- lightening, Batgirl realized. She didn’t get any time to process her new form before a small figure fell into her, now very muscular, arms. Barbra was momentarily stunned. This boy, Billy, as the Captain had said, looked only ten, eleven at the most. He was so small, especially in the arms of Captain Marvel.

              The sounds of magic crashing across the sky brought her attention back to the battle they were in the middle of. First thing first, she needed to get Billy out of here and somewhere safe. She carefully scooped him up, then took a deep breath before jumping into the air. To her relief, she remained airborne, and could take off quickly to the furthest safe house she owned from the fight. Acting with the speed of Hermes, she set Billy on the bed and cast a healing incantation that came automatically to her mind. A light glow of blue surrounded the small boy, satisfying her that she had at least done something to help, she gently removed the League comm device from Billy’s ear.

              Placing the comm in her own ear, she headed out of the window. As Barbra shut in from the outside, she got a glimpse of her reflection. Well, it did not feel like her reflection, because she looked identical to Captain Marvel.

              If Barbra was honest, she was terrified about what she was getting herself into. It was far beyond anything she knew, and she wasn’t a fan of working without knowing any of the facts. “Trust your instincts” was not her M.O., but right now, there wasn’t a choice. She took a deep breath. Then gathering her courage before she took off into the sky towards the storm above.

              “Captain Marvel come in.” Barbra quickly recognized Batman’s hail and took a nervous breath.

              “This is Marvel.” She replied, flying into the clouds.

              “What happened out there – The Young Justice team reported you down.” He asked.

              “Minor problems with a curse, it’s about to be taken care of.” Barbra responded, feeling an uncharacteristic surge of courage as Zatanna and Klarion came into sight. It seemed Zatanna had held her own in the time Marvel was down, but the magician looked exhausted. Barbra looked around, taking in the view when a thought came to her.

              “His familiar is missing!”

              “What? Repeat that Marvel.” Superman’s voice asked.

              “Klarion has a cat familiar – Teekl, it’s his anchor to our realm. Find it and we can end this!” She explained, drawing from the knowledge of Solomon.

              “And how do we do that?” The Flash asked.

              “It’s a demonic looking tabby, red eyes… may range between looking like a housecat to a sabretooth.” She described as best she could. “I’ll buy you time, let me know as soon as you see it!” She told them, then turned her attention back to the fight.

              “Klarion!” She bellowed, charging the chaos lord. The physical attack took him by surprise as Captain Marvel slammed into him. Klarion was send tumbling back in the air before righting himself.

              “Marvel, I wasn’t expecting to see you so soon.” Klarion snipped, straightening his clothes as he glared at her.

              “Well I’m just full of surprises.” Barbra said, feeling a surge of power before lightening shot down to her hands, then out at the chaos lord. He dodged easily, but Barbra fired again and again. It did little to cause any real damage, but it was serving well to keep Klarion’s focus.

              “Marvel! This is Nightwing, we’ve found the familiar. It’s heading for the museum under Klarion’s location.” Nightwing came in over the comms.

              “Got it Nightwing, thank you.” She replied quickly before checking below them. The oversized sabercat came into view, it’s orange striped pelt standing out against the Gotham streets.

              Klarion followed her light of site to see his familiar and his eyes widened. “Don’t you touch-!!” He shouted, only to be cut off by booming thunder and a lightning strike hitting the cat below them.

              “No! Teekl!!” Klarion shouted, dropping to the ground to scoop up the now normally sized cat. The cat curled up in his arms before Klarion glared up at Captain Marvel.

              “You’ll pay for that!” He threated before opening a portal up below him. “Soon.” He growled before vanishing. The skies above grew clearer, at least, as clear as it would be on a normal Gotham day, and Barbra looked over to Zatanna.

              “You alright?” she checked and Zatanna gave a tired, but happy nod.

              “Thanks to you. I thought you were out of the fight for a minute there.” She replied.

              “Yeah, well… you know me.” Barbra said with a nervous chuckle, quickly trying to think of how Captain Marvel would act. “Um-Well, I should let the team know.” She added before activating her comm.

              “Marvel to team, the main threat is gone. We should just have to wrap the last few sorcerers on the ground.” She told them.

              “Flash is doing a final sweep of the city.” Batman replied. “League members regroup at the Watch tour in an hour’s time for a debrief. Young Justice team, you’ll video call in.” He told them all. “Over and out.”

              Barbra sighed in relief, she gave a quick goodbye to Zatanna before flying back down to her safe house. She slipped inside and saw Billy still asleep on her bed, still encased in the healing spell. Now she had to figure out what to do with him, and even worse, how she was going to appear in two places at once for this meeting.

 


End file.
